Harmonicas are free reed musical instruments most commonly used in blues, country, and folk music. These devices utilize reeds which vibrate due to air flow in order to produce different musical notes. Each reed is made from a thin strip of brass or other comparable material that is attached at an end to a reed plate. The pitch produced by each reed differs based on its size (length and thickness), its stiffness, as well as the direction of air flow, which is either drawn (sucked) or blown. Users can also “bend” notes, through adjustments of their embouchure when playing. Conventional harmonica reeds and reed pads are stamped out and mounted above a slot in a harmonica reed plate; however, this produces quite a bit of air leakage around the reed. Individuals will sometimes take a harmonica apart and bend inner components of reed plates to reduce air leakage, however, this is a timely process and is often done incorrectly.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to introduce a reduced air leakage harmonica reed unit. The present invention comprises a harmonica reed unit. The reed unit is an elongated member and reed pad that are stamped out into a single piece of brass or other comparable material. The piece is then laser cut in order to form a vibrating membrane, which mimics the function of a harmonica reed. The vibrating member is mounted over a slightly oversized reed plate slot on a reed plate. The laser cut makes the device more airtight than standard harmonica reeds, which in turn produces more consistent sound quality. Overall, the present invention is simple, effective, and practical.